ZooScope – Page 21 – The Animals in Film Archive

Jungle Book. Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman. Walt Disney. 1967.

The notorious Kaa was manipulated in the Jungle Book[1] (1967) to serve the role of an antagonist, an inversion on his portrayal from Kipling’s original books[2] (1894). Kaa is presented as the enchanting reptile that adheres to the stereotypes of an Indian Rock Python.Reitherman harnesses the trance-like song “Trust in Me”[3] to ironically expose his deceitful nature and…

28th May 2020
Ernest and Celestine. Dir. Benjamin Renner. StudioCanal. 2012.

The animated film Ernest and Celestine[1] (2012) uses animals to offer a socio-political examination of French society. A predator-prey construct is conveyed through the division of social classes in the species contrast between a mouse- Celestine, and a bear- Ernest. By depicting stereotypes of animality and inverting the norms to show an unorthodox friendship, Renner exposes human class limitations.…

28th May 2020
The Shining. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Warner Brothers. 1980.

A notoriously disturbing moment in The Shining (1980) is the ‘bear costume’ scene, which poses questions why Kubrick specifically chose this animal and its symbolic purpose in this bizarre shot. The cheap appearance, thus inauthenticity of the costume, intentionally reminds viewers of the human inside the outfit, removing its animality in favour of humanity and…

28th May 2020
The Road to El Dorado. Dir. Bibo Bergeron, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Don Paul. DreamWorks Pictures. 2000.

The Road to El Dorado subverts humanity’s usual place at the apex of creation. In this scene the High Priest, Tzekel-Kan, explains to Tulio (whom he believes to be a God) the importance of human sacrifice in gaining the fear and worship of the people, thus placing humanity somewhere near the bottom of a divine…

27th May 2020
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Dir. Peter Jackson. New Line Cinema. 2003.

In this scene, we see a last gasp attack from the human riders against a far larger force of evil orcs. The horses the men ride reflect the heroic values of their riders whilst also encompassing the bestial nature of conflict. Jackson uses a wide shot, with the golden sun shining on the riders, to…

26th May 2020
Howl’s Moving Castle. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli. 2004.

There is a surprising lack of non-human animal representation in Studio Ghibli’s 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle, despite an overarching theme which frequently pits an idyllic pastoral version of Japan against a threateningly industrial one. The major depiction of human-animal relations is that of secondary protagonist Howl as he gradually transforms into a bird-like creature…

26th May 2020
The Favourite. Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 2019

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite explores the life of Queen Anne and the competition between her servants Abigail and Sarah to become her ‘favourite’. The film uses comedy to provide an alternative depiction of the often idealised royal courts, creating an image of debauchery and cruelty instead. Whilst the film focuses on the relationship between these…

24th May 2020
Wall – E. Dir. Anrew Stanton. Pixar. 2008.

In its depiction of a film-world defined by its lack of natural life, Pixar’s WALL-E (2008) features only one animal: WALL-E’s charismatic companion, Hal the cockroach.

6th June 2019
Mon Oncle . Dir. Jacques Tati. Gaumont (France), Continental Distributing (USA). 1958.

The release of Mon Oncle (Gaumont, France) in 1958 saw the return of Monsieur Hulot to cinema screens, following the successful Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot five years previously. The first of Tati’s films to be released in colour, the film follows the character of Hulot (Jacques Tati), an awkward but incredibly endearing man, and…

29th January 2019
Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Dir. Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. EMI Films. 1975.

In the opening scene of Monty Python and the Holy Grail [1], a grassy hill is shown with the sound of horse’s hooves—only for a skipping King Arthur, and coconut-clomping servant to appear, sans horse. This sets the scene for the finest ever cinematic use of imaginary horses.

28th January 2019

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